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Africa will drive global agenda on renewable energy- AfDB president
Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the President, African Development Bank(AfDB) Group, says Africa will drive global agenda on renewable energy and green transitions.
Adesina said this at a media conference in Nairobi, on the sidelines of the ongoing AfDB Annual Meetings 2024.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event marks the 59th Annual Assembly of the AfDB, the 50th meeting of the African Development Fund (ADF) and 60 years of AfDB’s existence
While articulating Africa’s inherent advantage in renewable energy, Adesina said the continent had abundant solar potential, and a catalyst for driving green energy initiatives on a global scale.
“Globally, we have been talking about global energy transitions. Everybody worries about continued CO2 emissions and the need to contain that through energy transitions and moving into more renewable energy.
“Africa will drive the global agenda on renewable and green energy transitions for two reasons. We have great sunshine, which has about 11 terawatts of solar potential.
“That is the highest solar potential you have anywhere in the world. And the level of solar radiation in Africa is the highest anywhere you will find in the world.
“So, therefore, as the world now transitions into renewable energy, Africa will be front and centre in terms of harnessing the power of renewable energy to drive our world,” he said.
According to Adesina, there is a lot of interest in green hydrogen, green ammonia, fertilisers, jet fuels, and other things that require renewable energy, such as solar energy.
He said that Africa’s rich reservoir of natural resources, including platinum, copper, and lithium, positioned the continent as a key player in the burgeoning Electric Vehicle (EV) market.
He emphasised the importance for Africa to harness these resources strategically for its transformation and to assert its prominence in global value chains.
“And so Africa today has 90 per cent of all the platinum in the world. It has well over 60- 70 per cent of all the copper you have worldwide.
“Fifty per cent of all the other metals, whether nickel or lithium. Africa has a massive amount of these natural metals that will determine the future of electric vehicles in the world.
“And so how Africa harnesses that for its transformation will be critical, but also critical for how Africa positions itself globally in those value chains.
“So there are potential, opportunities, and positioning issues for Africa within the context of your global electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems.
On Agriculture, Adesina said it emerged as a linchpin in Africa’s transformation narrative.
According to him, with most of the world’s uncultivated arable land lying within its borders, Africa holds the key to global food security.
He, however, underscored the imperative for Africa to leverage its agricultural potential to meet the needs of a burgeoning global population.
Adesina said that the continent was poised to chart its course on the global stage and should ensure to shape the future of generations to come.
“So, what Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. Africa’s transformation will have to happen not with what Africa does not have.
“It has to happen with what Africa has and how it harnesses those things, which will drive this fast-paced transformation. (NAN)
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communications to Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to the recent appointment of Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Olayinka took to X (formerly Twitter) to address discussions surrounding this leadership transition. His post aimed to clarify that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not dismiss Mele Kyari, a northerner, to replace him with a southerner, as some speculated. Instead, Olayinka pointed out that Ojulari, like Kyari, hails from the northern region of Nigeria.
According to Olayinka’s post on his official X account, he emphasised that Bashir Ojulari is from Kwara State, located in North Central Nigeria. Additionally, the new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, originates from Borno State in the North East.
His post stated: “Bashir Ojulari, the new NNPCL CEO, is a northerner from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is also a northerner, from Borno State, North East Nigeria.”
Olayinka’s statement came in response to narratives suggesting that the appointment was politically motivated to favour one region over another.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State, while warning against retaliatory violence targeting Southerners in Northern Nigeria.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, MBF Spokesman Luka Binniyat denounced inflammatory threats from individuals claiming to represent Northern interests in response to the killings.
Recalled that the victims, were allegedly armed hunters, traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano when they were attacked by a mob that accused them of being kidnappers.
“The MBF strongly condemns the unlawful killing of any Nigerian citizen, including those who lost their lives in Uromi,” the statement read. “However, we categorically reject any attempt to use this tragic incident as a pretext to unleash violence against Southerners residing in Northern Nigeria.”
The forum assured that the Middle Belt would not become a battleground for reprisals, emphasizing that it remains a safe haven for all law-abiding Nigerians. It urged community leaders and youths to remain vigilant and prevent any attempts to instigate violence, calling for anyone with such intentions to be handed over to authorities.
The MBF also reaffirmed its commitment to justice for all victims of violence across Nigeria. The statement highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing Middle Belt communities, citing persistent attacks by armed herdsmen with little government intervention.
” We hope that the swift response to the Uromi killings would serve as a precedent for broader action against criminal elements terrorizing the region.
“Thousands of our people remain in captivity, and vast portions of our land are still under the control of violent outlaws—primarily Fulani militants,” the statement noted.
“Justice must be served across the board.”
The MBF concluded by reiterating its support for the ongoing investigation into the Uromi incident and calling for a fair and decisive crackdown on all forms of criminality across the country.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.